Sand Hollow State Park is located in southwestern Utah near the city of Hurricane. It is known for its red sand beaches, stunning red rock landscapes, and a large 1,322-acre lake. OHV/ATV riders are drawn to the park for its expansive sand dunes and challenging trails. We visited the park and rode our ATV on the dunes and trails for a fabulous time!
ATV/OHV Trails
Sand Hollow State Park and the nearby BLM Sand Mountain Open OHV Area provide over 62,000 acres of technical trails and sand dunes.
The scenery is very diverse, with rock outcroppings as well as sand dunes.
Sand Hollow State Park alone provides over 15,000 acres of red sand dunes ready for ATV riding.
The BLM map of the Sand Mountain Open OHV Area is below. It shows the outline of the Sand Hollow State Park, as well as the BLM area where you can also ride ATVs.
The terrain offers a mix of soft red sand and rocky outcrops, providing varying difficulty levels for riders of all skills. There are trails of all sorts.
You can stay on the sandy areas, ride the dunes, or take more advanced and technical trails.
The “Sand Hollow Trails” parking area (see below) has maps, as well as a list of trails by difficulty level.
Where We Rode at Sand Hollow
I’ll be honest. I have absolutely no idea which trails we were on. We used the lake as a landmark to know where we were in relation to the trails.
We explored all over the place. The panoramic view below shows how diverse the terrain is.
The reservoir was usually in our view from the OHV area, so it was relatively easy to not get lost.
We were primarily taking in the sights, rather than dare-devil riding. The scenery was gorgeous.
There were plenty of experienced riders doing all sorts of rock crawls, etc, but we were taking a leisurely approach to seeing the OHV area.
The video below shows our perspective as we drove around on our ATV.
This balanced rock was one of many that we saw.
We made it to the highest point in the Sand Hollow OHV riding area. People have put all sorts of directional signs here. It’s a neat sight.
The panoramic view from here was incredible.
RC Truck
We watched these guys for a while. They were driving an RC (radio-controlled) truck all over the place. It was crazy fast. That is, until it wrecked.
Environmental Concerns
Riders are encouraged to stick to designated trails to prevent damage to the fragile desert ecosystem.
This includes areas where you’re going to want to stick to the trails, as there are cacti growing all over the place.
Permit and Other Requirements for Sand Hollow
In Utah, operating an OHV requires adherence to specific registration and permitting laws.
Registration
All OHVs must be registered with the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles if they are to be operated on public land or trails. This includes ATVs, UTVs, and dirt bikes. An exception is made for non-residents of Utah.
Non-Utah Resident Requirements
Non-residents who want to use their OHVs in Utah must obtain a non-resident permit.
Decal Display
Once registered, an OHV must display a current registration sticker. This sticker serves as proof that the OHV registration fee has been paid.
Driver Education Course
Utah mandates that all OHV operators (including visitors from out-of-state) must finish the Utah Off-Highway Vehicle Education Course. Riders under 18 need a youth OHV education certificate, while those 18 and older must have an adult OHV education certificate to operate OHVs. You can take the education course here.
I took the morning we rode, so it’s not too time consuming or difficult.
Helmets
Helmets are always a good idea, but a DOT approved helmet is required for riders under age 18.
ATV Rentals and Guided Tours
If you don’t have your own ATV, there are plenty of rental companies in nearby Hurricane. You can either rent one to drive on your own or take a guided tour.
Accessing the OHV Staging Area
You do not need to pay to get into Sand Hollow State Park to access the ATV trails. There is a separate OHV staging area near the park where you can park your vehicle and trailer, if you have one.
The maps above and below shows where we parked. We were at the “You Are Here” area on the map.
The staging area is a large gravel parking lot with direct access to the OHV trails. On Google Maps, it is listed as “Sand Hollow Trails.” You can see the gravel lot in the map below. It is shown by the red icon.
Google Map of Parking Area
To find directions to the Sand Hollow Trails parking lot, use the interactive Google map below.
Final Thoughts
Enjoy your visit!
Sand Hollow State Park is only about 30 miles from Zion National Park. We visited both in the same trip, including hiking up to Scout Lookout, near Angels Landing.
There’s also a cool canyon called Crosby Canyon near Page, Arizona where you can ride your ATV right down to Lake Powell. It also has gorgeous scenery.
It gets really hot at Sand Hollow in the summer, so the best times to visit are in the spring and fall. We visited in April.